Five minutes with Fiona Pace, Respect at Work Legal Service

We also represent priority clients in making complaints of sexual harassment or discrimination to Anti-Discrimination NSW, the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Fair Work Commission. If cases are not resolved through those forums, we may be able to represent people in taking their case to the NSW Civil & Administrative Tribunal or federal courts.

Our team also delivers legal education on sexual harassment and discrimination to community groups and workers. Our education programs include Work Ready – a targeted education session for young people that covers basic employment rights – which we deliver in high schools and at TAFE.

What issues do people commonly ask for advice about?

People ask us for legal advice about all types of sexual harassment and discrimination issues they experience in workplaces.

The most common issues we see are sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination (women losing their jobs after falling pregnant and/or taking maternity leave) and disability discrimination (employers refusing to hire people with a disability or make reasonable workplace adjustments to allow them to do their job).

When should someone who has experienced sexual harassment or discrimination seek legal advice?

We encourage anyone who feels they have been sexual harassed or discriminated against in a workplace to seek legal advice. The earlier people get that legal advice, the better. This is especially important where a person is worried they could lose their job. One legal option that may be available to them has a time limit of just 21 days while other options have limits ranging from 12-24 months.

We know that a lot of discrimination and sexual harassment is not reported and we want people to feel more confident in seeking help. Our legal advice is free and confidential, and our lawyers will talk through the different legal and non-legal options a person has available to them to try and get an outcome they want.

What's your role, and what do you enjoy most about it?

I am the Senior Solicitor in the Respect at Work Legal Service team. I manage our team’s legal services, and contribute to the development of community education programs and law reform initiatives. I also work collaboratively with our internal and external partners doing sexual harassment and discrimination work to ensure disadvantaged people all throughout NSW can effectively access trauma-informed legal services to help them address these issues.

I love my role within RAWLS. I constantly see the difference our team makes to individuals who have suffered workplace discrimination or sexual harassment. We can help them to achieve redress and move on with their lives, and we assist groups within the community to better understand their workplace rights.